Several celebrities were surprised when a female protestor was removed from the Cannes Film Festival red carpet on Friday after she protested against sexual violence against women in Ukraine. The woman was seen on video reaching the red carpet in a semi-naked state with paint on the lower half of her body before being escorted off by security guards. Since May 17, the prestigious film festival has been taking place in southern France.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, eyewitnesses claimed that the woman stripped off all of her clothes and screamed in front of the assembled photographers. Security guards rushed over to her and draped her in a coat.

The protester had painted the words “stop rapping us” across her chest and abdomen in the colours of the Ukrainian flag. The woman had blood-red paint on her lower back and legs, as well as the word’scum’ written on her back.

The incident occurred at the premiere of George Miller’s Three Thousand Years Of Longing, which stars Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton and is directed by Miller. When the episode aired, the director and stars were reportedly present.

The 75th Cannes Film Festival – Red Carpet Arrivals – Cannes, France, May 20, 2022 – Screening of the film “Three Thousand Years of Longing” Out of Competition A woman protests by painting her bare chest with the colours of the Ukrainian flag. “Stop rapping us,” she writes on her chest. Eric Gaillard/Reuters (REUTERS)

The Cannes Film Festival is one of the world’s most prestigious film festivals, held every summer in Cannes, France. The festival features world premieres and screenings of some of the most well-known and critically acclaimed films. The top prizes in the competition section are determined by an eight-member jury from the various films. Deepika Padukone is one of the festival’s stars this year at the 75th Cannes Film Festival.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, there have been numerous reports of Russian soldiers sexually abusing Ukrainian civilians since the start of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine earlier this year.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered a live satellite video address at the festival’s opening ceremony. He urged filmmakers to “confront dictators” in an emotional speech.